Niagara College has identified waste as a priority area in the new 2024-2029 Sustainability Plan, including a 65% diversion rate target. This means, we aim to divert 65% of all waste materials generated on campus, away from the landfill stream through reduction, recycling and reusing. While we have reached this target multiple times since 2012, as seen in the annual waste diversion graph below, it continues to be an ongoing challenge to maintain, and we rely on everyone on campus to do their part by sorting waste into the proper bins.
There are many different ways on campus to divert your waste from ending up in the landfill. One of these is the four-stream waste bins. They consist of:
Landfill stream
Organics stream
Recycling stream
Coffee cups stream
Disposable coffee cups are one of the main culprits of contamination in the other waste streams. Coffee cups are not recyclable or compostable and need to be put in the landfill stream or the coffee cup stream.
If you’re still unsure of where to put an item to properly dispose of it, try looking in our What Bin Do I Put It In guide.
4-Stream Waste Bins Locations
The maps below illustrate the locations of the 4-stream waste bins on each campus. These bins are strategically located in common areas across both campuses to ensure people have access to all four waste streams when disposing of waste, maximizing the opportunity to divert waste properly. Individual waste bins in classrooms and offices are minimized to ensure efficient collection systems and equitable access to recycling and organics disposal.
Daniel J. Patterson 4-Stream Waste Bin Locations Map
NCSAC and Chartwells have launched the Friendlier reusable container program at select food service outlets on campus! Friendlier is an Ontario-based program that collects, cleans and returns the reusable take-out containers to the market. For more information about how the program works, see For Consumers or Frequently Asked Questions. You can find the locations at each campus below.
Welland Campus:
The Core
The Shack
marketGRILL
Burrito Station
Daniel J. Patterson in Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus:
The Armoury
Undergrounds
marketGRILL
Since Friendlier launched on campus in September 2024, over 27,340 containers were reused at both campuses as outlined in the latest Niagara College Impact Report.
Helpful Tips for Success
Download the Friendlier app. This is where you can scan your container and receive your deposit back.
Return your container by placing it in a Friendlier container return bin, located at the retail outlets Friendlier is offered. If you don’t return your container, a new one needs to replace it (that’s what the unclaimed deposit is used for), reducing the reusability of the containers and negatively impacting the success of the program.
You will not receive your deposit if you scan the container, but do not return it by placing it in the Friendlier bin.
Don’t want your deposit back? You can donate to local charities, including the NCSAC Nourishing Minds Fund.
Green Circle Salon Program
In Winter 2024, the Teaching Salon became a Green Circle certified salon, diverting salon-related waste products away from landfill and educating students on the impacts of waste in the salon industry. In 2024, the Teaching Salon diverted 862 pounds of waste from landfill as highlighted in the 2024 NC Green Circle Salon Waste Certificate. Specific items diverted include:
Hair: 139lbs
Hair Colour: 96lbs
Metals: 691lbs
Single Use Items: 250lbs
More information about the Green Circle Salon program at the NC Teaching Salon can be found in the InsideNC Article here.
Batteries
There are used battery boxes in the libraries at both campuses. This program is in collaboration with Raw Materials Company.
Used Textbooks
While some textbooks may be able to be sold back to the bookstores, there are also donation boxes located at both campuses. They are located:
Welland Campus: Across from the Bookstore
Daniel J. Patterson in Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus: Outside Indigenous Education
Staff and students are able to bring their used ink cartridges and toner to RICOH on either campus. This ensures that these materials are not being sent to landfill, and are instead being sent for proper disposal.
RICOH is located on the ground floor at the DJP campus, right beside the Indigenous Education Center. At the Welland Campus, RICOH is located in the Voyageur wing by the Campus Store.
Oscar Sort on Campus
The new Oscar Sort smart recycling systems have arrived on campus! Thanks to a special partnership with NC SAC, we have rolled out these new waste sorting stations to help you sort your waste on campus. Don’t know where an item goes? Oscar can help tell you what bin that item should go it! Not only will this help break down barriers for students and the NC community to learn how to properly sort waste on campus, but it will provide detailed data to help support on-going engagement and communication activities. Want to visit one of these new waste station? You can find the locations below.
Welland Campus locations include:
Cafeteria across from Tim Hortons
Applied Health building across from Tim Hortons
Daniel J. Patterson in Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus include:
Cafeteria near the entrance
Main Floor East Wing outside Yerich
For more information about the Canada-based Oscar Sort systems by Intuitive AI you can visit the website by clicking here.
Annual Waste Diversion
Waste Diversion (%) – The percentage of materials by weight that are diverted away from landfill by being recycled, reused or composted. Niagara College has identified waste as a priority area in the new 2024-2029 Sustainability Plan, including a 65% diversion rate target. The graph below illustrates the annual waste diversion rate (%) from the 2011 baseline year compared to the 65% target.
Annual diversion rate at Niagara College
To read more about the annual waste diversion at Niagara College, please see the waste audit reports.
Waste Audits
Niagara College conducts two types of waste audits: a solid non-hazardous waste audit compliant with O.Reg. 102/94 and a brand audit as described below.
Solid Non-hazardous Waste Audit
A has been conducted since the start of summer 2011 at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus and Welland Campus of Niagara College which sorts waste items in the landfill, recycling, coffee cup, and organics bins by the type of material (instead of by brand like the brand audits). This allows us to identify which type of waste materials contribute most to the four different waste streams, helping to enhance waste reduction, recycling programs, and sustainability awareness among students and staff by targeting specific materials like plastics. Visit the Legislative Reports webpage for more information.
Brand Audit
A brand audit has been conducted since the start of summer 2024 at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus and Welland Campus of Niagara College which sorts waste items in the landfill, recycling, coffee cup, and organics bins by brand (instead of material type like the solid non-hazardous waste audits). This allows us to identify which brands contribute most to the four different waste streams, helping to enhance waste reduction, recycling programs, and sustainability awareness among students and staff. Visit the Brand Audits webpage for more information.
